Peak Discharge Scaling in Small Hortonian Watershed

Abstract

Runoff data were analyzed from the semihumid 21.2 km 2 Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed ~GCEW! in northern Mississippi to examine watershed response over a range of scales. Runoff is monitored at the GCEW outlet and in 13 subcatchments, ranging in area from 0.06 to 17.6 km 2 . Previous data-based studies have shown that simple scaling theory fails to describe scaling of flood quantiles in large watersheds, and there is a fundamental change in scaling behavior in semihumid watersheds at an area of approximately 100 km 2 . It has been found that flood quantiles in nearly all subbasins in the GCEW are self-similar as described by simple scaling theory. It has also been found that expected values of peak flows during single runoff events are described by a power law function of catchment area. The primary reasons why flood quantiles are self-similar on Goodwin Creek are that precipitation is relatively uniform over the basin; peak discharges in smaller catchments are highly correlated with rainfall rates; nearly the entire watershed regularly contributes to runoff and; the groundwater table plays little role in runoff production.